SAL Co-operation with Motor Bus Line

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Another little nugget from browsing through microfilm- a bus service in co-operation with the SAL. Does anyone know anything else about this? Or how long it lasted? There were a number of bus services which were run with the ACL, SAL, and FEC in Florida, but this is one of the earliest I know about. Interesting in view of the recent thread on the 1936 inauguration of rail motor car service from Jacksonville to River Junction. From The Florida Times-Union, Wednesday, May 2, 1928:

New Bus Line To Live Oak Inaugurated

Seaboard Air Line Service Augmented By Four Buses Daily.

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Jacksonville and live Oak were linked by motor bus yesterday morning when the newly organized Motor Transportation company, operating in conjunction with the Seaboard Air Line Railway Company, opened a motor bus line between the two points, it was announced by S. L. Linderbeck, assistant general passenger agent.

Palatial parlor buses, modern in every respect with a capacity of thirty passengers and with spacious baggage compartments, are being used on the route, which will be served by four daily round trips. The buses have been named after famous Southern leaders, among whom are Lee, Longstreet, Stewart, Jackson and Beauregard.

R. Kent has been named superintendent of the Motor Transportation Company and a convenient schedule has been mapped. Departing stations in Jacksonville are the bus station at Hogan and Bay streets, the Seaboard Air Line railway city ticket office, 233 West Forsyth street, and the terminal station. The buses at the latter place will depart from the front of the station and their leaving will be announced in the terminal lobby. Tickets will be on sale at each location.

Points of arrival in Live Oak are the Suwannee hotel, Kalil Drug store and the Seaboard Air Line railway station.

The buses leave Jacksonville at 7:40 a.m., 11:50 a.m., 2 p.m., and 5:30 p.m., and arrive at Live Oak 10:42 a.m., 2:52 p.m., 5:02 p.m., and 8:33 p.m. They leave Live Oak for Jacksonville at 7 a.m., 10 a.m., 1:50 p.m., and 4:30 p.m., arriving in Jacksonville at 10:02 a.m., 1:02 p.m., 4:52 p.m., and 7:32 p.m.

En route the buses serve Hart Haven, Marietta, White House, Otis, Baldwin, Macclenny, Glen St. Mary, Margaretta, Sanderson, Olustee, Watertown, Lake City, Wellborn, Houston and Live Oak. Three starting and leaving points have also been assigned in Lake City, the Powell hotel, Seaboard Air Line railway and the Blanch hotel.

A service being featured by the Motor Transportation Company is the express baggage plan for the handling of parcels by rail if the bus service is to be used, it was pointed out. The ticket purchased by the patron will be honored at the railway station and can be used in check

-- Larry Brennan (lpbrennan@aol.com), April 06, 2001


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